Humans
***The following is the Initial Draft, subject to change with ME3's release. It should only be used as a temporary guide.*** The circumstances surrounding the reaper invasion conspired to create the “perfect storm” in the tumultuous post-reaper political atmosphere of earth. The “Earth First” Terra Firma party took full advantage of this period and was swept into prominence and then total dominance as humanity struggled to find stability and guidance during this period of reconstruction. The trials of the reaper invasion, perpetrated by aliens, led to a popular distrust and then anger toward all aliens who were seen as the root of humanity’s (and the galaxy’s) dire state of affairs. Fueling the paranoia and hatred against aliens, the Terra Firma party stirred up support for their campaign to stabilize and heal the galaxy, with humanity “rightfully” at the forefront. The war drums were quickly pounded as the broken nations of earth united under the strong leadership of Terra Firma. Taking humanity’s remaining fleets, and riding on strong and zealous waves of patriotic, pro-human sentiments, the newly-christened Terran Empire steamrolled the rest of the galaxy. They began, quite eagerly, with humanity’s long-standing rival (and enemy number one, in the opinion of most at this time), the turians, who were quickly named as the perpetrators of the reaper invasion, with Saren as the initial figure who spearheaded the conspiracy to overtake the galaxy for the Hierarchy. The Terran Empire quickly shut down other key species of interest with a combination of deception and sheer military might. In this celebrated golden age of the Terran Empire, almost 100 years into its existence, humanity has benefitted greatly in their rise to galactic dominance. Cheap and plentiful alien labor has led to an influx in readily available goods of all kinds. The rapid advancement of technology and scientific research—most gleaned from technologies humanity repurposed and studied from various subjugated alien species, the reapers, and civilizations of eons past—has led to a technological boom with most scientific and technological advancements found in the realm of nano and quantum technologies. Human lifespans have been greatly extended by newly-developed nanotechnology and various implants also increase many humans’ physical capabilities. Illness is no longer a reality for most of humanity. Such technology is rarely afforded to their alien subjects, though some minor enhancements are allowed to make some aliens more convenient for humanity (such as in the case of the quarians and immune system stabilizers and boosters). Few humans refuse to purchase or accept such implants; those who choose to live naturally are viewed through a lens of suspicion by the empire and are placed on watch lists as suspected terrorists or dissidents. From the perspective of the populace at large, such refusal to accept implantation is seen as an amusing quirk at best, or a backwards and misguided perception at worst. While outright hatred of aliens is no longer as common as it once was (or even desirable in the empire’s sight, leading them to no longer teach and encourage this more extreme anti-alien behavior in the education system) there is a strong streak of human supremacy encouraged and propagated across the populace. From birth humans are raised to believe that they are inherently superior and good, and that aliens are inferior or even “bad” (especially in the case of the turians, the only species that the empire continues to embed outright hatred for across all species). While most humans no longer treat most aliens with hatred or revulsion, aliens are almost universally seen as “lesser beings,” even by alien-friendly humans who otherwise mean well. Most humans enjoy incredible wealth and material comfort and none work the more menial and “blue collar” jobs. Humans enjoy the best education and the best positions across all industries. Humans are leaders and view themselves as rightful rulers in the galaxy. Even the lowliest human is far above the highest-privileged aliens, and most relish their power. Xeno-slavery is a common and widely accepted practice in the empire. Many do not relish the legal responsibilities and costs of owning a slave, leading to alien servitude being an even more popular industry within the empire. Indeed, every alien within the empire is viewed as property, legally and socially. Even the most privileged alien, if not owned by a human, is ultimately owned by the state and subject to higher taxation, stricter laws, and more stringent scrutiny by state monitors. In spite of the many benefits afforded to humanity, however, it should not be forgotten that theirs is a society that presents an interesting interplay of Orwell and Huxley. The Empire controls its people with a tight fist, offering many wonders and rewards to loyal citizens, but willing to reprimand, correct, and even eliminate any who do not eagerly accept its gifts. It is free with doctored information and re-imagined history, but destructive and secretive with the truth. Privacy rights, indeed any democratic rights, are a long-forgotten pleasure. Cameras dot every nook and cranny, data is collected on every citizen, and the citizenry is carefully monitored for any deviation from government-approved behavior. For dissidents and law breakers, re-education camps (normally reserved for aliens) that teach revised history and intense propaganda are more than happy to accept human students in need of “correction.” Should this fail, the empire is not above elimination of its own citizens. This carrot-stick approach has gradually molded an eagerly loyal citizenry while gleaning out any dissidents foolish enough to make their disapproval of the empire’s practices known. Therefore those who are wise keep their heads down and opinions to themselves. Some who are driven to take action against the empire do well to keep their actions beneath the radar of the ever-present state. Some of these rebels even seek to escape the empire’s clutches entirely. Notable Humans *Adam Sharpe *Anastasia Kyriakos *Armineh Regin *Cai Melinda Li *Chris Anderson *Mark Finch *Max Whicker *Ni'Malia Madrada *Theru Ssian *Tristan Gereson Category:Humans